Dupe or Dud – LORAC PRO Palette vs Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1

Time for another Dupe or Dud showdown! Today we’re going to see if Makeup Revolution’s Iconic Pro 1 palette is a dupe for the LORAC PRO palette (which just happens to be a long time favorite of mine). The Iconic Pro palette had it’s work cut out for itself trying to prove to me that it was just as good my LORAC. Did it succeed?? 🙂

If you’ve missed any of my previous Dupe or Dud posts, you can find them all HERE. I’ve done four to date and can’t wait to dive into my next dupe test. If you have any suggestions on what I should test out next, leave it in the comments!

Dupe or Dud: PRO Palette vs Iconic Pro 1

Disclaimer: I am very picky when I do my dupe or dud posts. There are SO many videos, posts, and pins going around right now claiming that so many drugstore products are dupes. And more often I feel like it’s just because they look similar or have similar claims.

That does NOT mean it’s a dupe in my eyes! I want the drugstore product to PERFORM and LAST just as well (or better!) as my high end product. Just because a drugstore foundation applies as well as a highend does NOT make it a dupe if the drugstore foundation breaks down after an hours worth of wear and the highend can take you through a 14 hour day. Does all that make sense? Am I alone in my view on this?

The Products

LORAC Cosmetics PRO Palette | Retail: $44 | LORAC’s velvety-smooth shadows are infused with soothing botanicals and are ultra-pigmented to perform wet or dry so you can shade, shadow, line and define your eyes, just like a PRO. PRO Palette contains 16 Eye Shadows and a Mini Behind The Scenes Eye Primer for stay-true color that lasts, a PRO must-have!

The Swatches

All swatches are done without primer, swirling my finger once in the pan, and once on my arm.

The first four mattes from the top row! In the same way that White from LORAC has sparkle in the shadow, so does Ghost. Must is much more cool-toned than Taupe.

BTW, I apologize for the top row being out of focus. I got my first DSLR camera and (obviously) am still learning it. :-/

Last four mattes in the palette. Very similar in color, though obviously LORAC has more pigmentation and intensity than the Makeup Revolution. Pitch is, to be blunt, a disappointing black. But more on that later…

First four shimmers in the palette. All very similar in color, except for Champagne and Dawn — the LORAC is more pink and the Makeup Revolution one is more silver/white.

Last four shimmers in the palette. The most impressive shades out of each palette, in my opinion! Addicted and Deep Purple are different shades of purple, though to be honest I prefer Addicted for a purple because Deep Purple looks almost black on the lids.

The Similarities

Shade Selection

There is no denying that these palettes LOOK identical. Don’t need me to tell you that. 😉 Makeup Revolution is known for coming out with ‘dupes’ for popular high end palettes — even the name is similar. Just with a more wallet-friendly price than LORAC. The top of the Iconic Pro 1 feel similar to the PRO palette packaging, though the bottom of the Makeup Revolution palette is just black plastic, no velvety feel to it.

Bonus Items

They’re not the same, but both palettes do come with something extra along with the palette. The LORAC PRO comes with a deluxe size of this eyeshadow primer, which lasts a long time (my first tube lasted 9-12 months). The Iconic Pro 1 includes this dual-ended brush. One side is a flat shader brush and the other is a blending brush that’s a little pinched at the bottom to make it nice to blend out shadows in the crease. It’s a nice brush. Isn’t like a Real Techniques, but it isn’t one to throw out either. It works if you need it to. 🙂

Looks You Can Create

I did several eye looks using my LORAC PRO palette on one eye, and the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 palette on the other eye and more often than not, they looked identical. Picture above is my favorite go-to eye look when I reach for my LORAC PRO: Cream as a browbone highlight, Nude on the lid, Taupe and Sable in the crease, and Espresso to deepen up the outer corner. For the Makeup Revolution side I used: Luna on the browbone, Need on the lid, a mixture of Must and Drama in the crease, and Afflicted in the outer corner.

The Differences

Ease of Use

Okay, so while right above this I say that you can achieve the same eye looks…I have to also add that it’s not with the same effort. The Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 palette takes about 2 to 3 times longer to achieve the same look as the LORAC PRO palette. It takes more building up, more blending. For example, Breathe can look like a transparent color with shimmer if I don’t use Fix+ first and layer it on. Need required several dips back into the pan to pack on the color. Pitch, as already mentioned, isn’t very pigmented, so to compete with the awesomeness that is the LORAC PRO Black….it took a lot of effort, lol! 😛

Shadow Name Placement

The LORAC PRO palette has the names printed on the palette (which I love) but the Makeup Revolution only gives the names on a (flimsy!) piece of plastic. I don’t like when they’re only on these inserts — I know I’m going to loose it some day! Another point about the names: Makeup Revolution is very creative and LORAC is more descriptive. This is totally personal preference, but I like the way the names of these LORAC shadows let you know what shade to expect when you use it.

Pigmentation/Consistency

The LORAC PRO palette shadows all have a very buttery, creamy texture. If you’ve never felt this palette…go to Ulta or Kohls and feel it right now! It really is a delight to work with and feel! In contrast, the Makeup Revolution Iconic Pro 1 palette is more dry and flat. Some shades feel smooth, but for the most part I noticed a sharp contrast when I was swatching all of the colors on my arms.

Longevity

Okay, so a little backstory: I have very oily eyelids and one of my eyes is more hooded than the other. So that hooded eye is the one I always like to test and keep an eye on when trying out new products because it’s notorious for creasing and fading. That’s the reason I LOVE the LORAC PRO palettes so much — they never crease or fade! So with the Iconic Pro 1 palette I found about 50% of them creased on that eye before the end of the day. And a few shades would fade bad. I used Addicted and Pitch to smoke out the outer corner one day and not only were they difficult to blend, but they wore away patchy throughout the day. Not cool.

So, Is It A Dupe?

This is SO hard to call… (I couldn’t even use my typical “yes” or “no” sign, that’s how hard this is!) I believe that the Iconic Pro 1 palette will be a dupe for some, and not for others. Let me clarify that: read below and see what category you fall into…

This IS a Dupe

You have dry eyelids. The shape of your eyes isn’t hooded or creased. Budget is too tight to be picky. Want to see if you’d use the LORAC PRO enough to warrant the splurge someday. Putting extra time to make eyeshadows work doesn’t bother you. Every day eye looks are more your thing than deep, smokey eyes. You are an “eyeshadow bully” (term coined by Dani).

This ISN’T a Dupe

You have oily eyelids. Your eyes are hooded or you have issues with creasing. Using Fix+ or a colored base isn’t how you roll. Ease of application and blendability is more important than price. Smokey and dramatic eyes are your go-to.

I really, really, really hope this breakdown was helpful and that I didn’t make anyone upset. As I said from the beginning, I am being very picky in my dupe or duds this year. And I have to be honest with you guys! This just isn’t a dupe for MY skin and MY preferences. I don’t forsee myself keeping the Iconic Pro 1 palette in my collection for long because when it comes down to it…I would prefer working with the LORAC PRO palette.

Tell me your thoughts, please! After reading my pros and cons do you consider this a dupe for your preferences? Let me know if you plan to purchase the Iconic Pro 1 or the PRO palette 🙂

Related

Comments

Very interesting! I like your criteria for whether something is a dupe or not. You definitely managed to get your two eyes to look identical using the two palettes, but as you said, you had to work at it. The swatches – tho the shades are so close in hue – definitely tell the story. So much better, richer pigmentation with Lorac, and that’s what we’re paying for when buying Lorac. Fun post and comparison!

I know! You can definitely make the Makeup Revolution work for you…and maybe I am just a palette snob, haha, but I still prefer the creaminess and ease of the LORAC palette. 🙂 Since finishing my testing period between these two, I haven’t reached for my MR palette :-/

I totally agree with your dupe criteria! Just because something has the same shades doesn’t mean it preforms anywhere similarly. I definitely would spend the extra on the LORAC palette in this case. The shimmers are pretty in the Makeup Revolution palette, but just not anywhere near up to par with the LORAC palette!

Yes! Thank you! If it performs the same — DUPE ALERT — but if I have to spend 10 extra minutes to get the same look….ehh. If you’re on a budget, sure. But you are getting what you pay for with the LORAC palette 🙂

I get frustrated with magazines that show dupes when they haven’t been tested. Just like this, things can look alike but not perform the same. I think they are only a dupe in the colors but it’s the swatches that show that they are different. Very well done and comprehensive comparison!!

Yes girl, me too! Or Youtube videos where they compare them — for the first time — on camera and then call if it’s a dupe or not right after applying. Uhh…what about wear time? Often that’s what you’re paying for when you buy highend! At least, that’s why I often purchase highend. Ain’t nobody got time for creasing or fading, haha!

Sounds like the Makeup Revolution palette is a deal if you just want the same shades, but like lots of things, you get what you pay for! I think I’d go for the LORAC after reading this comparison! Great post 🙂

The shades are SO incredibly similar! But I’m disappointed by the MUR pigmentation – normally, you would expect their shadows to be more pigmented! Lorac, OTOH, has never disappointed that way. Absolutely great post!

The things you mentioned about the Revolution palette — low pigmentation, taking a long time and a lot of product to build coverage, soft/dry textures — these are why I never trust dupes. The colors and presentation might be close enough to call it a dupe, but the quality isn’t. Awesome post, this was really informative. You are this close to the selling me on a LORAC palette!

It seems like the color swatches that you did were fairly spot on just not quite as pigmented. In that regard I would say it was a dupe but like you said when you consider the quality of the palettes as a whole it is not a dupe. I only have the Lorac 3 and I think it would be a good palette to try if I was on a budget.

Girl, these posts are so well done! I love how in depth you go and LOVE how you do the same eyelook with both palettes for comparison! I definitely think I would just buy the Lorac palette, the pigmentation seems to be just so much better!

Thank you, I’m glad all the information is so helpful! I know I can get long and drawn out on some posts…but there is just so much to share, haha! And with this post I really wanted to make sure I was thorough 🙂

What a fantastic review! Makeup Revolution is my favorite brand but I agree with your verdict on this one. You can get the same look but with more effort and a less smooth and opaque finish. I have dry hooded eyes and I have several primers but the one that works best for me is the MR Focus & Fix Eye Primer. I find MR eyeshadows outlast most of my higher end ones but some of their early formulas do crease.

I’ve never tried their eye primer, but that’s good to know! I always love trying a new eyeshadow primer! 😀 Glad you enjoyed the comparison post and agree with my overall verdict for this dupe or dud! <3